Luke Humphries admitted that he must raise his level if he hopes to contend for a second World Grand Prix crown, and he confessed that he would have liked defending champion Luke Littler to stay in the tournament longer. The 2023 champion, who has also been runner‑up in the last two editions of the double‑start event, delivered a rather uninspired display in his straight‑sets win over Dave Chisnall at the Mattioli Arena. The world No.

2 managed to hit fewer than 27 percent of his checkout attempts and posted an average of 81.41 – his lowest figure at this competition since the 2022 edition. Nevertheless, he felt a measure of relief at escaping the fate that befell both Littler and Michael van Gerwen, who were both knocked out in the opening round. "That was probably one of the poorest performances I've ever given myself on the World Grand Prix stage," Humphries said after the match.

"I never felt comfortable throughout the whole encounter. The doubles weren’t clicking from the start, my scoring was sub‑par and I got the impression that Chizzy [Dave Chisnall] wasn’t at his best either." He added, "It wasn’t a good showing, but I’m through to the next round and when I meet Jermaine [Wattimena] on Thursday I hope you won’t see a repeat of that." With defending champion Luke Littler’s surprise loss to Luke Woodhouse, Humphries now finds himself the favourite to lift the trophy. Yet he acknowledged that the absence of the world No.

1 adds a new dimension of pressure. "I hate it when he loses because it instantly puts the spotlight on me. Everyone starts saying ‘this is yours to win’, and that sort of thing," Humphries explained.

"I’d rather he stay in the draw, because I love the idea of meeting him in a final – I want to beat him there, not lose to him. The excitement of a final against him fuels me. When he’s out, I don’t jump for joy; instead, the weight of expectation settles on my shoulders and sometimes that doesn’t help." He continued, "If he were still around, I could aim to sneak past him and meet him later, but now the pressure is all on me." Humphries’ 2023 triumph marked his first PDC‑ranked televised title and sparked a dominant run that carried him to the end of the season.

Since then, however, the player known as ‘Cool Hand’ has endured a series of runner‑up finishes in major events after his World Masters and Premier League victories the previous year. "I feel like I’m due for a major – I’ve lost six or seven finals now," he said. "I played exceptionally well in the Premier League final and the World Masters final, posting a 105 average, yet I still lost. Those defeats are hard to swallow." He reflected on the difficulty of beating a rising star like Littler: "If you play anyone else on the circuit, they’re unlikely to beat you, but when you face a phenom like Luke [Littler], he can turn the tables.

I believe I deserve a major, but sometimes life doesn’t hand you what you think you’ve earned." Humphries stressed that the onus is now on him to win four more matches and elevate his performance dramatically. "If I repeat the level I showed today, I’ll be lucky just to reach the quarter‑finals or semis.

I need to step up." During his progression to the last‑16, Humphries sparked curiosity on social media by appearing on stage with a noticeable scab on his head. He clarified that the blemish caused no hindrance to his play.

"I wanted to spin an epic tale about battling five opponents and emerging victorious, but the truth is less dramatic," he said. "I filmed Bullseye on Tuesday, woke up Wednesday with a large rash on the side of my head, and it kept worsening until it scabbed over." He speculated that the reaction might be linked to makeup and creams used for TV appearances.

"When you do TV shows they put on makeup and various creams, and I think I had an allergic reaction to something they applied. I haven’t seen a doctor yet, but it looks like an allergic response to the products they used on my head and face. I’m otherwise fine." The World Grand Prix continues to be broadcast live on Sky Sports throughout the week, with daily coverage leading up to the final on Sunday.

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